King Arthur in various media
Encyclopedia
Matter of Britain
The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the body of literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and its legendary kings, particularly King Arthur...
stories, focusing on King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, are one of the most popular literary subjects of all time, and have been adapted numerous times in every form of media.
Modern literature
- A. A. AttanasioA. A. AttanasioAlfred Angelo Attanasio, born on September 20, 1951 in Newark, New Jersey, is an author of fantasy and science fiction. His science-fiction novel Radix was nominated for the 1981 Nebula Award for Best Novel and was followed by three other novels, the four books, together, comprising the critically...
: The Dragon and the Unicorn, The Eagle and the Sword, and The Wolf and the Crown. - Derek BenzDerek BenzDerek Benz is an American author of fantasy fiction for children and co-author of the popular Grey Griffins, originally published by Scholastic, Inc. Benz works in collaboration with J. S...
and J. S. Lewis: The Revenge of the Shadow KingThe Revenge of the Shadow KingThe Revenge of the Shadow King is the first volume of three books in the Grey Griffins series written in collaborative writing by American authors Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis, and published by Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc...
reveals an alternate history of Arthur who was betrayed and murdered by his half-sister Morgan le FayMorgan le FayMorgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
, who is portrayed as an evil immortal being known as the Black Witch, for possession of a sacred book which had been passed down father-to-son for thousands of years. In this case, Arthur was betrayed when he refused to pass the book on to his illegitimate son. The book was passed to Arthur's true son, and from Arthur's son came the Knights TemplarKnights TemplarThe Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
. - Marion Zimmer BradleyMarion Zimmer BradleyMarion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R...
: The Mists of AvalonThe Mists of AvalonThe Mists of Avalon is a 1983 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which she relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters.-Plot introduction:...
is the classic of modern reinterpretations of the Arthurian legend through the points of view of powerful women behind Camelot, namely Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar, and Morgause. - Gillian BradshawGillian BradshawGillian Marucha Bradshaw is an American writer of historical fiction, historical fantasy, children's literature, science fiction, and contemporary science-based novels, who currently lives in Britain...
: The Down the Long Wind trilogy Hawk of MayHawk of MayHawk of May is the first of a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Gillian Bradshaw which interprets the King Arthur legend. It recounts, from the viewpoint of the warrior Gwalchmai ap Lot, Arthur's rise to power...
, Kingdom of SummerKingdom of SummerKingdom of Summer is the second book in a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Gillian Bradshaw. The novel tells of the ascendancy of King Arthur and the planting of the seeds of his downfall...
and In Winter's ShadowIn Winter's ShadowIn Winter's Shadow is the final book in a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Gillian Bradshaw. It tells the story of King Arthur's downfall, as recounted by his wife Gwynhwyfar.-Plot summary:...
looks at the King Arthur legend through the eyes of a classical scholar. - James Herbert BrennanJames Herbert BrennanJ. H. "Herbie" Brennan is a lecturer and the author of over one hundred fiction and non-fiction books for adults, teens, and children.-Biography:...
: The Grail Quest gamebookGamebookA gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
s center on the kingdom of King Arthur. - BryherBryherBryher was the pen name of the novelist, poet, memoirist, and magazine editor Annie Winifred Ellerman. She was born in September 1894 in Margate. Her father was the shipowner and financier John Ellerman, who at the time of his death in 1933, was the richest Englishman who had ever lived...
set her historical novel Ruan in Britain immediately after Arthur's death. - Meg CabotMeg CabotMeg Cabot is anAmerican author of romantic and paranormal fiction for teens and adults and used to write under several pen names, but now writes exclusively under her real name, Meg Cabot...
: Avalon HighAvalon HighAvalon High is a young adult novel by Meg Cabot, published in 2005. It reached number 3 in The New York Times children's best sellers list in January 2006. A manga sequel called Coronation, Volume one: The Merlin's Prophecy has been released....
, a novel in which high school students find themselves to be reincarnations of characters from the Arthurian cycle. - Mark ChadbournMark ChadbournMark Chadbourn is an English fantasy, science fiction and horror author with fifteen novels published around the world.Born in the English Midlands from a long line of coal miners...
: The Age of MisruleThe Age of Misrule (series)The Age of Misrule is a three-book modern fantasy novel series, written by Mark Chadbourn. It is set in Britain and the faery Otherworld around the beginning of the third millennium....
, The Dark AgeThe Dark Age (series)The Dark Age is a trilogy by Mark Chadbourn set around the beginning of the third millennium. While the previous series was a clear fantasy story, this has strings of gothic horror and existentialism woven into it.The three books are:...
and Kingdom of the SerpentKingdom of the SerpentThe Kingdom of the Serpent is the third in a series of trilogies written by Mark Chadbourn. Set in modern-day Britain, it continues from The Age of Misrule and The Dark Age....
trilogies take a modern twist of Arthurian legend and Celtic mythology, using them as a basis for a dark series of novels set in modern Britain, in which the Celtic gods return to take back the land. - Catherine Christian: The Pendragon tells the story from a 5th century Sir BedivereBedivereIn Arthurian legend, Sir Bedivere is the Knight of the Round Table who returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. He serves as King Arthur's marshal and is frequently associated with Sir Kay...
. - Susan CooperSusan CooperSusan Mary Cooper is an English author best known for The Dark Is Rising, an award-winning five-volume saga set in and around England and Wales. The books incorporate traditional British mythology, such as Arthurian and other Welsh elements with original material ; these books were adapted into a...
: five volume saga, The Dark is Rising. - Bernard CornwellBernard CornwellBernard Cornwell OBE is an English author of historical novels. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe which were adapted into a series of Sharpe television films.-Biography:...
: The Warlord ChroniclesThe Warlord ChroniclesThe Warlord Chronicles is a trilogy of books about Arthurian Britain written by Bernard Cornwell...
consist of three novels, Winter King, Enemy of God, and Excalibur, and reintroduce many old characters into the tale. - Kevin Crossley-HollandKevin Crossley-HollandKevin John William Crossley-Holland is an English translator, children's author and poet.-Life and career:Born in Mursley, north Buckinghamshire, Holland grew up in Whiteleaf, a small village in the Chilterns...
: The Seeing-Stone, At the Crossing-Places, and King of the Middle-March. - Peter DavidPeter DavidPeter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
's Knight trilogy depicts Arthur reappearing in the modern-day world. In the first novel, Knight LifeKnight LifeKnight Life , is an Arthurian fantasy novel by Peter David. The book was first published in 1987, and an expanded, updated edition of the book was published by Ace Books in 2002.-Plot summary :...
, Arthur emerges from his thousand-year convalescence that followed the wound he sustained from Mordred to run for mayor of New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In One Knight Only, he faces another epic hero for possession of the Holy GrailHoly GrailThe Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers...
. In Fall of Knight, the villain Arthur encounters is a person from actual history, who possesses the Spear of Destiny, and wants to use it to destroy the Earth. - Bryan DavisBryan DavisBryan Allan Davis is a former West Indian cricketer who played in four Tests in 1965. He later qualified for Glamorgan playing in the championship winning side in 1969....
: Dragons in Our Midst series - David DrakeDavid DrakeDavid Drake is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now one of the premier authors of the military science fiction subgenre.-Biography:...
: The Dragon LordThe Dragon LordThe Dragon Lord is a historical fantasy or sword and sorcery novel by American writer David Drake. First published in 1979 and revised in 1982, the novel is set in sixth century Arthurian Britain.-Background:...
, a somewhat unconventional story involving a "King Arthur" who is more great military general than quasi-enchanted king; it takes place shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire and long before the Age of Chivalry. - Janice Elliot: The King Awakes, a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel for young teens. Arthur awakens and maintains a presence as a sub-plot, leading to a fantastic finale complete with re-born Knights of the Round Table.
- Alan FentonAlan Fenton.Alan Fenton is an English fiction writer best known for his novels on the Arthurian legends.-Biography:Born in London, Alan Fenton was educated at Mercers’ School in the City...
: The Return of Arthur, a two part series which reinterprets the Arthurian legend in modern day, with a backdrop of global terrorism and war. - David GemmellDavid GemmellDavid Andrew Gemmell was a bestselling British author of heroic fantasy. A former journalist and newspaper editor, Gemmell had his first work of fiction published in 1984. He went on to write over thirty novels. Best known for his debut, Legend, Gemmell's works display violence, yet also explore...
: Ghost King (1988), Last Sword of Power (1988), The entire series deals with the Stones of Power, also known as the Sipstrassi. The first two books contain a re-imaging of the Arthurian legend. - Christopher Gidlow: The Reign of Arthur: From History to Legend
- Parke Godwin: Firelord and Beloved Exile
- The several books by Norma Lorre Goodrich are very popular, but are based on a poorly received analysis of Arthurian legend and medieval history. She asserts he was a borderlands king whose activity centred around the Roman walls and wall forts.
- Fred Heiser: Things Fall Apart... tells a variation of the story set in a post nuclear war southern California.
- Helen HollickHelen HollickHelen Hollick is a British author of historical fiction. She is the author of the Arthurian trilogy Pendragon's Banner, and the novels Harold the King and A Hollow Crown.-Life and career:...
: Pendragon's Banner trilogy. - Phyllis Ann KarrPhyllis Ann KarrPhyllis Ann Karr, born July 25, 1944, is an American author of fantasy, romances, mysteries, and non-fiction. She is best known for her "Frostflower & Thorn" series and Matter of Britain works.-Life and family:...
: The Idylls of the Queen. - Guy Gavriel KayGuy Gavriel KayGuy Gavriel Kay is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction. Many of his novels are set in fictional realms that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Justinian I or Spain during the time of El Cid...
: The Fionavar TapestryThe Fionavar TapestryThe Fionavar Tapestry is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Guy Gavriel Kay, set partly in our own contemporary world, but mostly in the fictional world of Fionavar. It is the story of five University of Toronto senior law and medical students, who are drawn into the 'first world of the Tapestry' by...
is the continuation of the Camelot story in the framework of a wider epic. - Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
: The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah reveals that the hero of King's spaghetti-western/fantasy/sci-fi magnum opus adventure series, Roland, is one of only two of King Arthur's surviving descendants. The version of Arthur in Roland's world is known as Arthur Eld, and was the founder of the order of Gunslingers, knightly warriors who wield revolverRevolverA revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
pistols in the name of justice; Eld's own guns were reportedly forged from the metal of ExcaliburExcaliburExcalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
itself. - Robert King: Mad Merlin, Lancelot Du Lethe, A retelling of the Arthurian legend from the perspectives of Merlin and Lancelot rather than on the usual Arthur, King weaves his tale by combining bits of folklore and mythology with both sheer invention and historical fact. Merlin is actually the god Jupiter.
- James Knowles, The Legends of King Arthur and his Knights
- Sidney LanierSidney LanierSidney Lanier was an American musician and poet.-Biography:Sidney Lanier was born February 3, 1842, in Macon, Georgia, to parents Robert Sampson Lanier and Mary Jane Anderson; he was mostly of English ancestry. His distant French Huguenot ancestors immigrated to England in the 16th century...
: The Boy's King Arthur is a work based on Thomas MaloryThomas MalorySir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur. The antiquary John Leland as well as John Bale believed him to be Welsh, but most modern scholars, beginning with G. L...
's Le Morte d'ArthurLe Morte d'ArthurLe Morte d'Arthur is a compilation by Sir Thomas Malory of Romance tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table...
, written in such a way to appeal to the boys of the 19th century. - Stephen R. LawheadStephen R. LawheadStephen R. Lawhead, born , is a best-selling American writer known for his works of fantasy, science fiction, and more recently, historical fiction, particularly Celtic historical fiction...
: The Pendragon CyclePendragon CycleThe Pendragon Cycle is a series of fantasy or semi-historical books based on the Arthurian legend, written by Stephen R. Lawhead. They are:*Taliesin *Merlin *Arthur *Pendragon *Grail...
, a more thorough examination of the myths, especially concerning TaliesinTaliesinTaliesin was an early British poet of the post-Roman period whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the Book of Taliesin...
, MerlinMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
, ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, PendragonPendragonPendragon or Pen Draig, meaning "head dragon" or "chief dragon" , is the name of several traditional Kings of the Britons:...
, and the Grail. - C.S. Lewis makes reference to Arthur and aspects of Arthurian legend, albeit with his own twist, in the final installment of his Space TrilogySpace TrilogyThe Space Trilogy, Cosmic Trilogy or Ransom Trilogy is a trilogy of science fiction novels by C. S. Lewis, famous for his later series The Chronicles of Narnia. A philologist named Elwin Ransom is the hero of the first two novels and an important character in the third.The books in the trilogy...
, That Hideous StrengthThat Hideous StrengthThat Hideous Strength is a 1945 novel by C. S. Lewis, the final book in Lewis's theological science fiction Space Trilogy. The events of this novel follow those of Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra and once again feature the philologist Elwin Ransom...
. - Andrew Massie: Arthur The King, a darker version of the classic tale.
- John MasefieldJohn MasefieldJohn Edward Masefield, OM, was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until his death in 1967...
cycle of poetry concerning the Arthurian legend. - Nancy McKenzie: Queen of Camelot, where Guinevere gives a first-hand account of her life, and Grail Prince, set directly after Arthur's death at Camlann.
- Rosalind MilesRosalind MilesRosalind Miles is an author born and raised in England and now living in Kent, England. She has written 23 works of fiction and non-fiction. As a child, Miles suffered from polio, and had to undergo several months of treatment. At high school Miles acquired a working knowledge of Latin and Greek,...
Guenevere Trilogy is a fictional trilogy that follows Guenevere and King Arthur through their reign as High King and Queen. - Garth NixGarth NixGarth Nix is an Australian author of young adult fantasy novels, most notably the Old Kingdom series, The Seventh Tower series, and The Keys to the Kingdom series. He has frequently been asked if his name is a pseudonym, to which he has responded, "I guess people ask me because it sounds like the...
: Contained in Nix's collection Across the Wall are two stories that present a different take on the Arthurian legends: "Under the Lake", a short story that portrays the Lady of the Lake as a parasitic, monstrous creature, and "Heart's Desire", which tells of Merlin and his apprentice Nimue, and the ultimately doomed relationship between them. - Tim PowersTim PowersTimothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare...
' The Drawing of the DarkThe Drawing of the DarkThe Drawing of the Dark is a historical fantasy novel by Tim Powers published in 1979 by Del Rey Books.-Plot summary:The year is 1529, and Brian Duffy, a world-weary Irish mercenary soldier is hired in Venice by the mysterious Aurelius Aurelianus to go to Vienna and work as a bouncer at the...
depicts an eternal King Arthur reincarnated to participate in the Siege of ViennaSiege of ViennaThe Siege of Vienna in 1529 was the first attempt by the Ottoman Empire, led by Suleiman the Magnificent, to capture the city of Vienna, Austria. The siege signalled the pinnacle of the Ottoman Empire's power, the maximum extent of Ottoman expansion in central Europe, and was the result of a...
. - Howard PyleHoward PyleHoward Pyle was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy.__FORCETOC__...
, King Arthur and His Knights of The Round Table - Kurtis Reid: Percival (part of the Descendant Series), a novel about King Arthur's son in the modern world. Set release in 2010.
- Philip ReevePhilip ReevePhilip Reeve is a British author and illustrator. He presently lives on Dartmoor with his wife Sarah and their son Samuel.-Biography:...
: Here Lies ArthurHere Lies ArthurHere Lies Arthur is a young adult novel by Philip Reeve. It was first published in April 2007. The Arthur of the title is the King Arthur of legend...
tells of a more tyrannical Arthur in the time of the Dark Ages. - Lisa Ann SandellLisa Ann SandellLisa Ann Sandell is an American author of young adult novels. She has written and published three books, A Map of the Known World, Song of the Sparrow, The Weight of the Sky, and 21 Proms.-Biography:...
: Song of the SparrowSong of the SparrowSong of the Sparrow is a young adult novel by Lisa Ann Sandell, published in 2007. It is written completely in lyrical form. It is set during the Dark Ages in Britain and is a retelling of the story of The Lady of Shalott a figure from Arthurian legend....
, a retelling of the story of Elaine of Ascolat, the Lady of ShalottThe Lady of Shalott"The Lady of Shalott" is a Victorian ballad by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson . Like his other early poems – "Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere" and "Galahad" – the poem recasts Arthurian subject matter loosely based on medieval sources.-Overview:Tennyson wrote two versions of the poem, one...
. - Nancy SpringerNancy SpringerNancy Connor Springer is an American author of fantasy, young adult literature, mystery, and science fiction. Her novel Larque on the Wing won the Tiptree Award, and she has also received the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.-Series:Book of the Isle* 1. The White Hart * 2...
: I am Mordred and I am Morgan le Fay are two young adult novels about the two often misunderstood characters of Camelot. - John SteinbeckJohn SteinbeckJohn Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
: The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble KnightsThe Acts of King Arthur and His Noble KnightsThe Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights is John Steinbeck's retelling of the Arthurian legend, based on the Winchester Manuscript text of Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. He began his adaptation in November 1956. Steinbeck had long been a lover of the Arthurian legends...
is a traditional take in modern language. Steinbeck also compared the adventures of the paisanos in his early novel Tortilla FlatTortilla FlatTortilla Flat is an early John Steinbeck novel set in Monterey, California. The novel was the author's first clear critical and commercial success....
to the exploits of Arthur's knights. - Mary StewartMary StewartMary Florence Elinor Stewart is a popular English novelist, best known for her Merlin series, which straddles the boundary between the historical novel and the fantasy genre.-Career:...
's Merlin books: The Crystal CaveThe Crystal CaveThe Crystal Cave is a 1970 fantasy novel by Mary Stewart. The first in a quintet of novels covering the Arthurian legend, it is followed by The Hollow Hills.-Plot introduction:...
sets up the background for the Arthurian legend. The Hollow HillsThe Hollow HillsThe Hollow Hills is a novel by Mary Stewart. It is the second in a quintet of novels covering the Arthurian Legends. This book is preceded by The Crystal Cave and succeeded by The Last Enchantment...
encompasses most of Arthur's lifespan, including his childhood with Merlin as his tutor. The Last EnchantmentThe Last EnchantmentThe Last Enchantment is a 1979 fantasy novel by Mary Stewart. It is the third in a quintet of novels covering the Arthurian legend, preceded by The Hollow Hills and succeeded by The Wicked Day.-Plot introduction:...
deals with Merlin's later life, against the continued background of Arthur's rule. A later book, The Wicked DayThe Wicked DayThe Wicked Day is a 1983 fantasy novel by Mary Stewart. The fourth in a quintet of novels covering the Arthurian legend, it is preceded by The Last Enchantment and succeeded by The Prince and the Pilgrim.-Plot introduction:...
, was written from the point of view of Mordred in the latter period of Arthur's rule, and provides an interesting counterpoint to the original three novels. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson: Idylls of the KingIdylls of the KingIdylls of the King, published between 1856 and 1885, is a cycle of twelve narrative poems by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson which retells the legend of King Arthur, his knights, his love for Guinevere and her tragic betrayal of him, and the rise and fall of Arthur's kingdom...
- Mark TwainMark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's CourtA Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's CourtA Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled A Yankee in King Arthur's Court... - Jacob Wenzel: Le Morte d'Arthur, an Epic Limerick is a retelling of Malory in limerick verse.
- T. H. WhiteT. H. WhiteTerence Hanbury White was an English author best known for his sequence of Arthurian novels, The Once and Future King, first published together in 1958.-Biography:...
: The Once and Future KingThe Once and Future KingThe Once and Future King is an Arthurian fantasy novel written by T. H. White. It was first published in 1958 and is mostly a composite of earlier works written in a period between 1938 and 1941....
cycle - Jack WhyteJack WhyteJack Whyte is a Scottish-Canadian novelist of historical fiction. Born and raised in Scotland, Whyte has been living in Canada since 1967. He resides in Kelowna, British Columbia....
: The Camulod ChroniclesA Dream of EaglesA Dream of Eagles is a historical novel series written by the Canadian author Jack Whyte. It was published in the United States as the Camulod Chronicles....
, a series of books containing more historical fiction than fantasy beginning with Roman Britain and leading through Arthur's reign. - Persia WoolleyPersia WoolleyPersia Woolley is an author, perhaps best known for her Guinevere trilogy. She also has written a number of works on writing, such as How to Write and Sell Historical Fiction.-Works:...
: Child of the Northern SpringChild of the Northern SpringChild of the Northern Spring is the first novel in Persia Woolley's Guinevere trilogy, about the Arthurian legend. The novel is written in first person perspective narrated by Guinevere in the form of a frame narrative.-Plot summary:...
, Queen of the Summer StarsQueen of the Summer StarsQueen of the Summer Stars is a 1991 novel by Persia Woolley and is the second volume of the Guinevere trilogy that relate the Arthurian legend from the perspective of Guinevere...
, and Guinevere: The Legend in AutumnGuinevere: The Legend in AutumnGuinevere: The Legend of Autumn is a 1991 novel by Persia Woolley. It is the third book of the Guinevere trilogy. The novel relates the events of the Arthurian legend in first-person perspective from the point of view of Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur...
. - Philip ReevePhilip ReevePhilip Reeve is a British author and illustrator. He presently lives on Dartmoor with his wife Sarah and their son Samuel.-Biography:...
: Here Lies ArthurHere Lies ArthurHere Lies Arthur is a young adult novel by Philip Reeve. It was first published in April 2007. The Arthur of the title is the King Arthur of legend...
tells of a more tyrannical Arthur in the time of the Dark Ages.
Theatre
- John ArdenJohn ArdenJohn Arden is an award-winning English playwright from Barnsley . His works tend to expose social issues of personal concern. He is a member of the Royal Society of Literature....
and Margaretta D'Arcy: The Island of the Mighty (1972) - Laurence BinyonLaurence BinyonRobert Laurence Binyon was an English poet, dramatist and art scholar. His most famous work, For the Fallen, is well known for being used in Remembrance Sunday services....
: King Arthur (1923), with music by Edward ElgarEdward ElgarSir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos... - D. G. Bridson: King Arthur (1937), with music by Benjamin BrittenBenjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
- J. Comyns CarrJ. Comyns CarrJoseph William Comyns Carr was an English drama and art critic, gallery director, author, poet, playwright and theatre manager....
: King Arthur (1895), with music by Arthur SullivanArthur SullivanSir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado... - CamelotCamelot (musical)Camelot is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe . It is based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy novel The Once and Future King....
(1960), by Alan Jay LernerAlan Jay LernerAlan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film...
and Frederick Loewe. It is based on the King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
legend as adapted from the T. H. WhiteT. H. WhiteTerence Hanbury White was an English author best known for his sequence of Arthurian novels, The Once and Future King, first published together in 1958.-Biography:...
novel The Once and Future KingThe Once and Future KingThe Once and Future King is an Arthurian fantasy novel written by T. H. White. It was first published in 1958 and is mostly a composite of earlier works written in a period between 1938 and 1941....
. The main thrust of the novel and the musical play is the affair between Arthur's wife, GuenevereGuinevereGuinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
, and his great friend, Sir LancelotLancelotSir Lancelot du Lac is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is the most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
. Camelot was filmed in 1967. Created by the team responsible for My Fair LadyMy Fair LadyMy Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
, Moss HartMoss HartMoss Hart was an American playwright and theatre director, best known for his interpretations of musical theater on Broadway.-Early years:...
, Alan Jay LernerAlan Jay LernerAlan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film...
, and Frederick Loewe, it starred Richard BurtonRichard BurtonRichard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
as Arthur, Julie AndrewsJulie AndrewsDame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
as Guinevere, and introduced Robert GouletRobert GouletRobert Gerard Goulet was a Canadian American entertainer as a singer and actor. He played the role of Lancelot in the Broadway musical Camelot of 1960.-Early life:...
as Lancelot. The original cast album of the show was a particular favorite of then-President John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, and the "Camelot" metaphor has been often associated with his presidency. - MerlinMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
was a Broadway musical in 1983 featuring illusionist Doug HenningDoug HenningDouglas James Henning was a Canadian magician, illusionist, escape artist and politician.-Early life:...
and music by Elmer BernsteinElmer BernsteinElmer Bernstein was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions...
. - SpamalotSpamalotMonty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the film, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian Legend, but it differs from the film in many ways, especially in its parodies of Broadway theatre...
, adapted from the film Monty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
. It won the 2004–2005 Tony Award for Best MusicalTony Award for Best MusicalThis is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack...
. Arthur was played by Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
in the original production.
Opera
- Henry PurcellHenry PurcellHenry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
: King ArthurKing Arthur (opera)King Arthur or, The British Worthy , is a semi-opera in five acts with music by Henry Purcell and alibretto by John Dryden. It was first performed at the Queen's Theatre, Dorset Garden, London, in late May or early June 1691....
(1691), libretto by John DrydenJohn DrydenJohn Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet... - Richard WagnerRichard WagnerWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
: LohengrinLohengrin (opera)Lohengrin is a romantic opera in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner, first performed in 1850. The story of the eponymous character is taken from medieval German romance, notably the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach and its sequel, Lohengrin, written by a different author, itself...
(1848), libretto by composer - Richard WagnerRichard WagnerWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
: Tristan und IsoldeTristan und IsoldeTristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
(1865), libretto by composer - Richard WagnerRichard WagnerWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
: ParsifalParsifalParsifal is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail.Wagner first conceived the work...
(1882), libretto by composer - Karl GoldmarkKarl GoldmarkKarl Goldmark, also known originally as Károly Goldmark and later sometimes as Carl Goldmark; May 18, 1830, Keszthely – January 2, 1915, Vienna) was a Hungarian composer.- Life and career :...
: Merlin (1886), libretto by Siegfried Lipiner - Hubert ParryHubert ParrySir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet was an English composer, teacher and historian of music.Parry's first major works appeared in 1880. As a composer he is best known for the choral song "Jerusalem", the coronation anthem "I was glad" and the hymn tune "Repton", which sets the words...
: Guinevere (1886) - Amadeu Vives: Arthús (1895)
- Isaac AlbénizIsaac AlbénizIsaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual was a Spanish Catalan pianist and composer best known for his piano works based on folk music idioms .-Life:Born in Camprodon, province of Girona, to Ángel Albéniz and his wife Dolors Pascual, Albéniz...
: MerlinMerlin (opera)Merlin is the last of the operas of Isaac Albéniz. It is in three acts and the libretto was written in English by Francis Money-Coutts, 5th Baron Latymer ....
(1897–1902), intended to be the first of a trilogy, libretto by Francis Money-Coutts, 5th Baron LatymerFrancis Money-Coutts, 5th Baron LatymerFrancis Burdett Thomas Nevill Money-Coutts, 5th Baron Latymer was a London solicitor, poet, librettist, and wealthy heir to the fortune of the Coutts banking family. He is now remembered chiefly as a patron and collaborator of the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz.-Family history:His father was the... - Ernest ChaussonErnest ChaussonAmédée-Ernest Chausson was a French romantic composer who died just as his career was beginning to flourish.-Life:Ernest Chausson was born in Paris into a prosperous bourgeois family...
: Le roi ArthusLe roi ArthusLe roi Arthus is an opera in three acts by the French composer Ernest Chausson to his own libretto. It was composed between 1886 and 1895, but only first performed on 30 November 1903 at the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels, after long delays...
(1903), libretto by composer - Rutland BoughtonRutland BoughtonRutland Boughton was an English composer who became well known in the early 20th century as a composer of opera and choral music....
: The Birth of Arthur (1909), libretto by Reginald Buckley - Harrison BirtwistleHarrison BirtwistleSir Harrison Paul Birtwistle CH is a British contemporary composer.-Life:Birtwistle was born in Accrington, a mill town in Lancashire some 20 miles north of Manchester. His interest in music was encouraged by his mother, who bought him a clarinet when he was seven, and arranged for him to have...
: GawainGawain (opera)Gawain is an opera with music by Harrison Birtwistle to a libretto by David Harsent. The story is based on the Middle English romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The opera was a commission from the Royal Opera House, London, where it was first performed on 30 May 1991. Rhian Samuel has...
(1991), libretto by David HarsentDavid HarsentDavid Harsent is an English poet & TV scriptwriter. As Jack Curtis and David Lawrence he has published a number of crime fiction novels....
Film
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's CourtA Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949 film)A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a 1949 musical comedy film adaptation of the Mark Twain novel of the same name that was distributed by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:...
(19491949 in filmThe year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
), a musical film adaptation of Twain's novel, with Bing CrosbyBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
as the time-traveling Yankee and Cedric HardwickeCedric HardwickeSir Cedric Webster Hardwicke was a noted English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly fifty years...
as Arthur. - Knights of the Round TableKnights of the Round Table (film)Knights of the Round Table is a 1953 Technicolor Cinemascope historical film made by MGM. Directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman, it was the first film in Cinemascope made by that studio...
(19531953 in filmThe year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:A...
), based on Le Morte d'ArthurLe Morte d'ArthurLe Morte d'Arthur is a compilation by Sir Thomas Malory of Romance tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table...
by Thomas MaloryThomas MalorySir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur. The antiquary John Leland as well as John Bale believed him to be Welsh, but most modern scholars, beginning with G. L...
, with Robert TaylorRobert Taylor (actor)Robert Taylor was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born Spangler Arlington Brugh in Filley, Nebraska, he was the son of Ruth Adaline and Spangler Andrew Brugh, who was a farmer turned doctor...
as Lancelot, Ava GardnerAva GardnerAva Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
as Guinevere, and Mel FerrerMel FerrerMel Ferrer was an American actor, film director and film producer.-Early life:Ferrer was born Melchor Gastón Ferrer in Elberon, New Jersey, of Catalan and Irish descent. His father, Dr. José María Ferrer , was born in Cuba, was an authority on pneumonia and served as chief of staff of St....
in the role of Arthur. - Sword of Lancelot a.k.a. Lancelot and GuinevereLancelot and GuinevereLancelot and Guinevere is a British 1963 film starring Cornel Wilde, his real-life wife at the time, Jean Wallace, and Brian Aherne...
(1963), a film directed by Cornel WildeCornel WildeCornel Wilde was an American actor and film director.-Early life:Kornél Lajos Weisz was born in 1912 in Prievidza, Hungary , although his year and place of birth are usually and inaccurately given as 1915 in New York City...
and starring Mr. Wilde as Lancelot, Jean WallaceJean WallaceJean Wallace was an American television and film actress.-Biography:Born Jean Walasek in Chicago to John T. Walasek and Mary A. Walasek , Wallace began her career as a model then got her first small movie role at the age of seventeen...
as Guinevere, and Brian AherneBrian AherneBrian Aherne was a British actor of both stage and screen, who found success in Hollywood.-Early life and stage career:...
as Arthur. - The Sword in the StoneThe Sword in the Stone (film)The Sword in the Stone is a 1963 American animated fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney and originally released to theaters on December 25, 1963...
, a 1963 Disney animated film about Arthur's childhood, loosely adapted from T.H. White's take on the legend. - CamelotCamelot (film)Camelot is a 1967 film adaptation of the musical of the same name. Richard Harris stars as Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave as Guinevere, and Franco Nero as Lancelot. The film was directed by Joshua Logan.-Plot:...
, a 1967 film adaptation of the successful 1960 Broadway musical of the same name, in turn heavily based on the last three of T.H.White's quartet of novels. It starred Richard Harris as Arthur, Vanessa RedgraveVanessa RedgraveVanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
as Guenevere, and Franco NeroFranco NeroFranco Nero is an Italian actor.-Early life:Nero was born Francesco Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense , the son of a sergeant in the...
as Lancelot. - Monty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
, a comedic parody of the traditional King Arthur legend. It was later adapted into a successful Broadway musical called SpamalotSpamalotMonty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the film, it is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian Legend, but it differs from the film in many ways, especially in its parodies of Broadway theatre...
. Arthur was played by Graham ChapmanGraham ChapmanGraham Arthur Chapman was a British comedian, physician, writer, actor, and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.-Early life and education:...
in the film. - John BoormanJohn BoormanJohn Boorman is a British filmmaker who is a long time resident of Ireland and is best known for his feature films such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Zardoz, Excalibur, The Emerald Forest, Hope and Glory, The General and The Tailor of Panama.-Early life:Boorman was born in Shepperton, Surrey,...
's 19811981 in film-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
film ExcaliburExcalibur (film)Excalibur is a 1981 dramatic fantasy film directed, produced and co-written by John Boorman that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Adapted from the 15th century Arthurian romance, Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory, Excalibur features the music of Richard Wagner...
, based largely on Malory and probably the highest rated serious Arthurian film. It features Nicol WilliamsonNicol WilliamsonNicol Williamson is a Scottish-born English actor who was described by English playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando".-Early life:...
as Merlin and Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
as Morgan Le Fay. - First KnightFirst KnightFirst Knight is a 1995 American medieval film based on Arthurian legend, directed by Jerry Zucker. It stars Richard Gere as Lancelot, Julia Ormond as Guinevere, Sean Connery as King Arthur and Ben Cross as Malagant....
, a 1995 movie based on the abduction of Guinevere by the knight MalagantMaleagantMaleagant is a villain from Arthurian legend. In a number of versions of a popular episode, Maleagant abducts Guinevere, necessitating her rescue by King Arthur and his knights. The earliest surviving version of this episode names the abductor Melwas...
. It featured Sean ConnerySean ConnerySir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
as Arthur, Richard GereRichard GereRichard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
as Lancelot, and Julia OrmondJulia OrmondJulia Karin Ormond is an English actress who has appeared in film and television and on stage.-Early life and education:...
as Guinevere. - Quest for CamelotQuest for CamelotQuest for Camelot is a 1998 animated feature film from Warner Bros. Animation, based on the novel The King's Damosel by Vera Chapman, starring the voices of Jessalyn Gilsig, Cary Elwes, Gary Oldman, Eric Idle, Don Rickles, Jane Seymour, Pierce Brosnan, Bronson Pinchot, Jaleel White, Gabriel Byrne,...
is a 1998 animated feature with King Arthur ruling over a besieged Camelot. - King Arthur and the Knights of The Round TableKing Arthur and the Knights of the Round TableKing Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table can refer to:*The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table*King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table , a 1979 Japanese anime series...
is a 1999 animated feature following King Arthur life from birth to death. - King Arthur, a motion picture released on July 7, 2004, claiming (despite being heavily criticised for its historical inaccuracies) to be more historically accurate about the legend of Arthur as a 5th century, British-born, Roman commander, with respect to new archaeologicalArchaeologyArchaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
findings; similar in story line to Jack Whyte's books. - Merlin and the Book of BeastsMerlin and the Book of Beasts-Plot:An evil sorcerer Mordred takes over Camelot leaving destruction and death in his path with his Book of Beast...
2009 Laura Harris plays the daughter of Guenevere and Arthur. She must defeat Mordred her half brother and his book of beasts.
TV movies and miniseries
- The 1998 television movie MerlinMerlin (film)Merlin is a television miniseries which originally aired in 1998 that retells the legend of King Arthur from the perspective of the wizard Merlin...
showing a tale of Arthur and his knights. - Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon was made into a miniseriesThe Mists of Avalon (TV miniseries)The Mists of Avalon is a 2001 miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It was produced by American cable channel TNT and directed by Uli Edel...
by TNTTurner Network TelevisionTurner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
in 2001. - BBC Series The Legend of King Arthur 1979 directed by Rodney Bennett Released BBC Video 1985 BBCV 9024
- Seasons 9 and 10 of Stargate SG1 feature Arthurian legend in its OriOri (Stargate)The Ori are fictional characters in the science fiction television series, Stargate SG-1. They are a group of "ascended" beings who use their advanced technology and knowledge of the universe to attempt to trick non-ascended humans into worshipping them as gods.They first appeared in the ninth...
storyline.
Special Presentations
The 2004 History Channel special Quest for King ArthurQuest for King Arthur
Quest for King Arthur is a 2004 History Channel production introduced by Ioan Gruffudd and narrated by Patrick Stewart. The production delves into multiple historical figures who may have contributed to Arthurian legend as early as the third century and as late as the 9th. It cites as our primary...
, hosted by Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
, with an introduction by Ioan Gruffudd
Ioan Gruffudd
Ioan Gruffudd is a Welsh actor.Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he started off in Welsh language film productions, then came to international attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in the film Titanic , and as Lt. John Beales in Black Hawk Down...
, highlights several historical figures who may have contributed to Arthurian legend. It was shown on the History Channel just prior to the release of the film King Arthur (2004), which featured Gruffudd as the character Lancelot
Lancelot
Sir Lancelot du Lac is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is the most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
and doing a voice-over introduction. The obvious tie-in was to assert the historical accuracy of the film.
Series
- The 1950s British television series The Adventures of Sir LancelotThe Adventures of Sir LancelotThe Adventures of Sir Lancelot is a British television series first broadcast in 1956, produced by Sapphire Films for ITC Entertainment and screened on the ITV network...
, based around the knight's exploits, featured Arthur and many other characters from the legends. This was the first British television series ever to be made in colour. - The 1970s British television series, Arthur of the BritonsArthur of the BritonsArthur of the Britons is a British television show about the historical King Arthur. Produced by the HTV regional franchise, it consisted of two series, released between 1972 and 1973...
, starring Oliver TobiasOliver TobiasOliver Tobias is a UK-based film, stage, and television actor and directorBorn Oliver Tobias Freitag in Zürich, Switzerland, he is the son of Austrian-Swiss actor Robert Freitag and German actress Maria Becker. He came to the United Kingdom at the age of eight and trained at East 15 Acting School,...
, sought to create a more "realistic" portrait of the period and to explain the origins of some of the myths about the Celtic leader. - The French series KaamelottKaamelottKaamelott is a French television series running originally 2005–2009. It combines medieval fantasy and comedy to present a new "realistic epic" version of the Arthurian legend....
features a humorous take on the legend. - The 2008 BBC series MerlinMerlin (TV series)Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur but differs from...
is a reimagining of the legend in which the future King Arthur and Merlin are young contemporaries. - CamelotCamelot (TV series)Camelot is a historical-fantasy-drama television series which premiered on April 1, 2011. It was co-produced by the Starz cable network and GK-TV which began production during the summer of 2010...
is a series on Starz scheduled to begin April 1, 2011. It begins at the very earliest story, with twenty year-old, long lost son Arthur being crowned king after half-sister Morgan poisons their father King Uther.
Animation
- The late 1960s Australian animated cartoon series Arthur! and the Square Knights of the Round TableArthur! and the Square Knights of the Round TableArthur! And the Square Knights of the Round Table was an Australian animated series based on the legend of King Arthur of Camelot.The series was produced from 1966 to 1968 and written by Melbourne playwright Alex Buzo and British-born entertainer Rod Hull, with Lyle Martin, M. Robinson, and John...
was a typically wacky take on Arthurian legend. - King Arthur and the Knights of the Round TableKing Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (anime)is a Japanese anime series based on the Arthurian legend. Produced by Toei Animation, it consisted of 30 half-hour episodes released between September 9, 1979 and March 3, 1980...
(Entaku no Kishi Monogatari: Moero Arthur), a Japanese anime series produced by Toei AnimationToei AnimationToei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...
in 1979, followed by King Arthur: Prince on White HorseKing Arthur: Prince on White HorseKing Arthur: Prince on White Horse, known in Japan as , is a Japanese anime series based on the Arthurian legend. It is a sequel to the earlier series King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, reworked in a futuristic setting...
(Moero Arthur: Hakuba no Oji) in 1980 - The animated series The Legend of Prince ValiantThe Legend of Prince ValiantThe Legend of Prince Valiant is an American animated television series based on the Prince Valiant comic strip created by Hal Foster. Set in the time of King Arthur, it's a family-oriented adventure show about an exiled prince who goes on a quest to become one of the Knights of the Round Table. He...
followed the adventures of three young warriors training to become Knights of the Round Table. Originally aired in the early 1990s, it featured Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere, and Gawain in its main cast and several other Arthurian characters in recurring roles. - The animated series King Arthur & the Knights of Justice premiering in 1992 featured an American FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team called the Knights led by quarterback Arthur King. When the "real" Knights of the Round Table are captured, Merlin magically transports the Knights football team to Camelot to defend the kingdom and rescue the captured knights. The show was cancelled in 1993. - The British animated cartoon series King Arthur's DisastersKing Arthur's DisastersKing Arthur's Disasters is a British animated series which first aired on CITV, a now defunct programming block on ITV1. The series was Co-Created by Paul Parkes and Will Ashurst, the series follows and depicts attempts by King Arthur, assisted by the wizard Merlin, to woo the beautiful...
in 2005. - In the Japanese anime adaption of the visual novel Fate/stay nightFate/stay nightis a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC. An all-ages version of Fate/stay night, titled Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, was released for the PlayStation 2 on April 19, 2007, and features the Japanese voice actors from the anime series...
, Arthur is portrayed as having been a woman (named ArturiaSaber (Fate/stay night)is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by TYPE-MOON.She is Shirō Emiya's servant, an agile and powerful warrior. Saber is loyal, independent, and reserved; she appears cold, but is actually suppressing her emotions to focus on her goals. Her class...
) whose spirit is resurrected to serve a mage in the modern day with history recording her as a man for political correctness.
Comics
- In 1937, a newspaper comic strip by Hal Foster, Prince ValiantPrince ValiantPrince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur, or simply Prince Valiant, is a long-run comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretch of that story now totals more than 3700 Sunday strips...
was first published, with the byline "In the Days of King Arthur". Since the death of Foster in 1982, John Cullen MurphyJohn Cullen MurphyJohn Cullen Murphy was an American illustrator best known for his three decades of work on the Prince Valiant comic strip....
has continued producing this comic strip. - DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
uses King ArthurKing Arthur (DC Comics)King Arthur ' is a fictional character, a comic book King published by DC Comics. Arthur debuted in New Comics #3, , and was created by Rafael Astarita. The character is based on the mythical ruler King Arthur whose earliest recorded appearances were in the Annales Cambriae, the Historia Brittonum,...
's Camelot as a recurring piece of its fictional history, and there have been "several Arthurs," including a pagan general in Roman Britain, and a medieval Christian mystic. The various Arthurs were served by various versions of the character Shining KnightShining KnightShining Knight is the name of three comic book superheroes that have appeared in books published by DC Comics. The original Shining Knight, Sir Justin, was created by Creig Flessel and first appeared in Adventure Comics #66 .-Sir Justin:...
while The DemonThe Demon (comic book)The Demon is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, the title character, named Etrigan, is a demon from Hell who, despite his violent tendencies, usually finds himself allied to the forces of good, mainly because of the alliance between the...
, under the control of MerlinMerlin (DC Comics)Merlin, is a fictional character, a comic book magician published by DC Comics. Myrddin debuted in New Comics #3, , and was created by Rafael Astarita...
, defended Camelot during its final days. - The original version of the Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
character Black KnightBlack Knight (Sir Percy)Sir Percy of Scandia, also known as the original Black Knight, is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He was a medieval knight created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Joe Maneely.- Publication history :...
was also at Arthur's court. - In Marvel Comic's New Excalibur series, King Arthur and his entire court is depicted when the team of mutants travels back in time to aid Black Knight during his years as a member of Arthur's Court. During the mission, Peter Wisdom advertently causes Guinevere and Lancelot into committing their affair behind Arthur's back.
- Several comic book titles have explored the "Once and Future King" aspect of the legend by bringing Arthur and his knights back from the dead at the time of Britain's greatest need. Arthur and company re-emerge to battle an alien menace in AD 3000 in Camelot 3000Camelot 3000Camelot 3000 is an American twelve-issue comic book limited series written by Mike W. Barr and penciled by Brian Bolland. It was published by DC Comics from 1982 to 1985 as one of its first direct market projects, and as its first maxi-series.-Plot:...
. - The heroes of Knights of PendragonKnights of PendragonThe Knights of Pendragon was a superhero team published by the Marvel Comics imprint Marvel UK in a self-titled comic from 1990 to 1993, and in the anthology title Overkill. It was written by Dan Abnett and John Tomlinson with art by Gary Erskine...
likewise assemble in the spirit of Arthur's Round Table. - Simon BisleySimon BisleySimon Bisley is a British comics artist best known for his 1990s work on ABC Warriors, Lobo and Sláine. His style, reliant on paints, acrylics, inks and multiple-mediums, is strongly influenced by Frank Frazetta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dalí, Egon Schiele, and Richard Corben...
's Treasure of Britain starring the character SláineSláine (comics)Sláine is a comic hero from the pages of 2000 AD - one of Britain's most popular comic books.Sláine is a barbarian fantasy adventure series based on Celtic myths and stories which first appeared in 1983, written by Pat Mills and initially drawn by his then wife, Angela Kincaid. Most of the early...
, features Arthurian characters and themes. - The comic book Dracula vs King Arthur from Silent Devil Productions takes Arthur as he begins his quest for the Grail and pits him against a time-crossing Dracula, who creates a vampire army to take on The Knights of the Round Table.
- King Arthur makes several appearances throughout De Rode RidderDe Rode RidderDe Rode Ridder is a Belgian Flemish comic book series set in medieval Europe. It stars the titular character Johan, the Red Knight, easily recognizable by his red tunic. It appeared six days a week in the newspaper De Standaard and a few other ones.-Summary of the story:The series are...
(The Red Knight), a FlemishFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
comic book series. - The webcomicWebcomicWebcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
Arthur, King of Time and Space retells the legend in real time, in several settings. - The Caliber comics Legends of Camelot series began to cover stories from the Arthurian tradition.
- The French comic book Arthur, by David Chauvel and Jérôme Lereculey, draws inspiration from early medieval Welsh legends, such as the Mabinogion.
- In HellboyHellboyHellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers...
, Hellboy is descended from King Arthur through his son, Mordred, by a daughter who was hidden away.
Board games
- The board game Shadows over CamelotShadows Over CamelotShadows Over Camelot is an Arthurian-themed board game designed by Serge Laget and Bruno Cathala. The game was also published in French as Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde and in German as Schatten über Camelot. Players take on the roles of Knights of the Round Table and play the game by...
features King Arthur as one of the main playable characters in the game. - In the science fiction board game Warhammer 40k, the Emperor of Mankind drew many similar inspiration from Arthurian legends while the treacherous Warmaster Horus and Horus HeresyHorus HeresyIn the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Horus Heresy was a galaxy-spanning civil war that marked the end of the Great Crusade which took place in the 31st millennium. First described in the 1988 Games Workshop book Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness, it was used as the background for the...
is similar to Mordred. - The BretonniaBretonniaIn Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, Bretonnia is a country located west of the Empire, between the Grey Mountains and the Great Ocean in the lands that were once part of the domain of the Elves...
army from Warhammer FantasyWarhammer Fantasy (setting)Warhammer Fantasy is a fantasy setting, created by Games Workshop, which is used by many of the company's games. Some of the best-known games set in this world are: the table top wargame Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay pen-and-paper role-playing game, and the MMORPG...
Battles frtures many elements from Arthurian Legends. This Includes: Knights make up the bulk of the army, Grail Knights, The Green Knight (special character), and The Fay Enchantress.
Role-playing games
- The role-playing gameRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
PendragonPendragon (role-playing game)Pendragon, or King Arthur Pendragon, is a role-playing game in which players take the role of knights performing chivalric deeds in the tradition of Arthurian legend. It was originally written by Greg Stafford and published by Chaosium, then was acquired by Green Knight Publishing, who in turn...
details how to run adventure games set in the time of the Round Table. Its setting integrates Malory with post-Roman Britain, Celtic myth and English Folklore. - In RiftsRifts (role-playing game)Rifts is a multi-genre role-playing game created by Kevin Siembieda in 1990 and published continuously by Palladium Books since then. Rifts takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, deriving elements from cyberpunk, science fiction, fantasy, horror, western, mythology and many other genres.Rifts...
from Palladium BooksPalladium BooksPalladium Books is a publisher of role-playing games perhaps best known for its popular, expansive Rifts series . Palladium was founded April 1981 in Detroit, Michigan by current president and lead game designer Kevin Siembieda, and is presently based in Westland, Michigan...
, the main story of Britain revolves around the future equivalent of King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
and his knights. It should be noted that this is not the original King Arthur awoken from AvalonAvalonAvalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 pseudohistorical account Historia Regum Britanniae as the place where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was forged and later where Arthur was...
and he has many different characteristics and strengths, not the least of which is his new blade, Calibur-X, a vibrating gun blade with magical properties. - The King Arthur Supplement for the GURPSGURPSThe Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
role-playing game gives three different Arthurian settings, a historical setting based upon post-Roman Britain, a legendary setting based upon Malory, and a cinematic setting based upon modern stories.
Video games
- King Arthur: The Role-playing WargameKing Arthur: The Role-playing WargameKing Arthur is a real-time strategy and role-playing video game developed and published by Neocore Games. It seeks to blend elements of the real-time strategy, role-playing, and grand strategy genres into one. A sequel has been confirmed to be in development.-Gameplay:Game play in King Arthur is...
a real time strategy and role-playing game by Neocore Games from 2009 - King ArthurKing Arthur (video game)-See also:* King Arthur: The Role-playing Wargame, King Arthur: The Role-playing Wargame ....
by Krome Studios is based on the 2004 film of the same nameKing Arthur (film)King Arthur is a 2004 film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Franzoni. It stars Clive Owen as the title character, Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot, and Keira Knightley as Guinevere....
. - King Arthur & the Knights of JusticeKing Arthur & the Knights of Justice (video game)King Arthur & the Knights of Justice is an action-adventure game developed by Manley & Associates and published by Enix for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in May 1995...
by EnixEnixThe was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
is based on the cartoon series of the same name. - Stronghold LegendsStronghold legendsStronghold Legends is a castle-based real-time strategy game by Firefly Studios. It follows in the series of Stronghold and Stronghold 2.-Gameplay:...
by Firefly StudiosFirefly StudiosFirefly Studios is a computer game developer that has offices in London, England and Canton, Connecticut, with a QA department in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Company was formed in August 1999 by Simon Bradbury, Eric Ouellette and David Lester who had worked together on numerous titles such as the...
campaign includes King Arthur's legend - Conquests of CamelotConquests of CamelotConquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail is a graphic adventure game released in 1989 by Sierra. It was the first game in the Conquests series designed by Christy Marx and her husband Peter Ledger. The only other game in the series was 1992's Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood...
by Sierra EntertainmentSierra EntertainmentSierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
centers around the quest for the Holy Grail. - Knights Of The RoundKnights of the Round (video game)is an arcade game released by Capcom in 1991. A side-scrolling beat 'em up based loosely on the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, the game features an RPG-like level advancement system, with fighters getting new weapons and armour as they advance through the game, however...
by CapcomCapcomis a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
is a light-hearted take on the Arthurian legend in a sword fighting beat-em-up similar to the video game Final FightFinal Fightis a side-scrolling beat-'em-up game originally released by Capcom as a coin-operated video game in . It was the seventh game released by Capcom for their CP System arcade game hardware...
. - Tomb Raider: Legend by Crystal DynamicsCrystal DynamicsCrystal Dynamics is an American video game developer based in the San Francisco Bay Area and founded in 1992 by Judy Lang, Madaline Canepa and Dave Morris...
revolves around the King Arthur legend resembling those of other cultures around the world; pieces of artifacts are forms of Excalibur. - Arthurian mythology is a prevalet element in Namco BandaiNamco Bandai, also known as the Bandai Namco Group, is a Japanese holding company formed from the merger of Namco and Bandai. It has interests in toys, video games and arcades, anime, and amusement parks. The new entity was founded on September 29, 2005...
's Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan WarAce Combat Zero: The Belkan Waris a semi-realistic flight simulator developed by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is part of the Ace Combat series of games...
, including elements such as Excalibur, Avalon and the Round Table, amidst other things. - In Final Fantasy VIIFinal Fantasy VIIis a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
, the final and most powerful summon materia is Knights of the Round which has 12 knights striking an enemy with the last knight obviously being King Arthur through his extended entrance and grander appearance. - The visual novelVisual novelA is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
/erogeErogeAn or Ero-ga is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.-History:...
and animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Fate/stay nightFate/stay nightis a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC. An all-ages version of Fate/stay night, titled Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, was released for the PlayStation 2 on April 19, 2007, and features the Japanese voice actors from the anime series...
features a young female knight called SaberSaber (Fate/stay night)is a fictional character from the Japanese visual novel and anime series Fate/stay night by TYPE-MOON.She is Shirō Emiya's servant, an agile and powerful warrior. Saber is loyal, independent, and reserved; she appears cold, but is actually suppressing her emotions to focus on her goals. Her class...
whose true name is Arturia. She became King by pulling free the sword from the stone. Knowing that armies wouldn't follow a woman, she renamed herself King Arthur and used Merlin's magic to hide her gender.- The prequel Fate/ZeroFate/zerois a prequel to Type-Moon's visual novel Fate/stay night. It is a light novel by Gen Urobuchi, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi. The first volume was released on December 29, 2006, and is a collaboration between Type-Moon and fellow developer Nitroplus. The second volume was released on March 31,...
features not only the above King Arthur/Saber, but also LancelotLancelotSir Lancelot du Lac is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is the most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
as a Black Knight under the class Berserker. The spinoff game Fate/extraFate/Extrais a Japanese dungeon role-playing game for the PlayStation Portable, created by Type-Moon and Image Epoch and published by Marvelous Entertainment. The game takes place in a parallel universe to the visual novel Fate/stay night. The game was released in Japan on July 22, 2010. Aksys Games...
features GawainGawainGawain is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table who appears very early in the Arthurian legend's development. He is one of a select number of Round Table members to be referred to as the greatest knight, most notably in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...
as an enemy-exclusive Saber-class character.
- The prequel Fate/Zero
- In the MMORPGMMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
RuneScapeRuneScapeRuneScape is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game released in January 2001 by Andrew and Paul Gower, and developed and published by Jagex Games Studio. It is a graphical browser game implemented on the client-side in Java, and incorporates 3D rendering...
, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are portrayed as having settled in the game's fictional world while awaiting Britain's 'time of greatest need'. - The MMORPG Dark Age of CamelotDark Age of CamelotDark Age of Camelot is a 3D medieval fantasy MMORPG, released on October 10 2001 in North America and in Europe shortly after through it's partner GOA. It is still running today recently celebrating its 10th anniversary....
takes place after King Arthur's death. - NamcoNamcois a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
's SoulSoul (series)The is a weapon-based historical fantasy fighting game series by Namco Bandai Games. The series revolves around a sword that, after years of bloodshed and hatred, gained a soul of its own, the Soul Edge, and the sword forged to counter it, Soul Calibur. The series is special in that each character...
series features Arthur as a samurai. He wields a katanaKatanaA Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
named Gassan. - The WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
game Sonic and the Black KnightSonic and the Black Knightis a title within the Sonic the Hedgehog series, released exclusively on Wii as the second entry in the Sonic Storybook series, following on from Sonic and the Secret Rings. The game is directed by Tetsu Katano, who was the lead programmer of the Sonic Adventure titles and Sonic Heroes...
features the main protagonist, Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog (character), trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
saving the city CamelotCamelotCamelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
from King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
after he becomes corrupt and calls himself the Black Knight. After defeating the Black Knight/King Arthur, Merlin's granddaughter Merlina reveals to Sonic & the Knight of the Roundtable that the King Arthur they knew was a fake created by her grandfather. In the end, Sonic was revealed to be King Arthur himself, as Caliburn (actually ExcaliburExcaliburExcalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
) said he was the one who decides who is worthy of the crown. - Sir Lancelot is used as character in a 1984 platform / arcade game for the Sinclair ZX SpectrumZX SpectrumThe ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
. - The tactical JRPG Fire Emblem: Fūin no TsurugiFire Emblem: Fuin no Tsurugiis a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. The game was released on March 29, 2002 in Japan, is the sixth game in the Fire Emblem series and the first of three games in the series that have appeared on Nintendo's Game Boy Advance handheld. Its...
contains many characters whose names allude to the King Arthur legend. Although there is no Arthur, characters include: GuinevereGuinevereGuinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
, Igraine, Gorlois, LanceLancelotSir Lancelot du Lac is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is the most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
, PercivalPercivalPercival or Perceval is one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. In Welsh literature his story is allotted to the historical Peredur...
, Uther, Lot, Bors, MerlinusMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
, NiimeLady of the LakeThe Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
and Nacien. The game's prequel, Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken, introduces NinianLady of the LakeThe Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
, but on the whole this game draws more from medieval French mythology than British and Arthurian. - The FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
based game Kingdoms of Camelot is a medieval sim whose premise is based on King Arthur making them a Lord or Lady of Camelot and granting them a tract of land on which they build a city. Players grow their cities, build further cities and control armies that conquer wildernesses and battle other players to grow might. MerlinMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
also features as a prominent character, and there are mentions of Guenevere and Morgan Le FayMorgan le FayMorgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
as well as various knights.
Music
- The concept album The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round TableThe Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round TableThe Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is the second studio album from the English keyboardist and composer Rick Wakeman...
(1975) by Rick WakemanRick WakemanRichard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
tells a version of the legend. - The 1995 album Imaginations from the Other SideImaginations from the Other SideImaginations from the Other Side is the fifth studio album by Blind Guardian that was released in 1995. The atmosphere of this album is darker in comparison to their earlier works, such as Battalions of Fear, which had a relatively happy tone...
by the power-metal band Blind GuardianBlind GuardianBlind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres...
contains numerous songs referencing Arthurian legends, including "A Past and Future SecretA Past and Future Secret"A Past and Future Secret" is the first cd single from German power metal band Blind Guardian, and the third track on their 1995 album Imaginations From the Other Side. It is an acoustic song, and its guitarwork and lyrical themes strongly evoke the Arthurian legends cycle, the end of which it...
," about the battle of Camlann, and "Mordred's Song." - The 2004 expanded edition of heavy metalHeavy metal musicHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
singer Bruce DickinsonBruce DickinsonPaul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....
's 6th solo album The Chemical WeddingThe Chemical Wedding (Bruce Dickinson album)The Chemical Wedding is the fifth solo album by English heavy metal singer Bruce Dickinson, released on 14 July 1998 through Sanctuary Records...
features a song called "Return of the King," which heavily references Arthurian elements including Uther Pendragon. - The American power-metal band KamelotKamelotKamelot is an American symphonic power metal band from Tampa, Florida. The band was formed by Thomas Youngblood and Richard Warner in 1991. Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album Siége Perilous, and shared song-writing duties with Youngblood until his departure in April 2011.As of 2010,...
has many songs with Arthurian elements in their discography. - In 2003 hard rock musician Gary HughesGary HughesGary Hughes is an English hard rock singer, songwriter and musician. Apart from his work as a solo artist, Gary Hughes is the front man and main songwriter of Hard Rock/Melodic Rock band Ten...
put out two albums, Once and Future King Part IOnce and Future King Part I-Track listing:All songs written by Gary Hughes.# "Excalibur" – 6:22# "Dragon Island Cathedral" – 6:03# "At the End of Day" – 4:30# "The Reason Why" – 4:36# "Shapeshifter" – 4:45# "King for a Day" – 4:47# "Avalon" – 4:00# "Sinner" – 5:01# "In Flames" – 5:03...
and Once and Future King Part IIOnce and Future King Part II-Track listing:All songs written by Gary Hughes.# "Kill the King" – 5:51# "There by the Grace of the Gods " – 5:10# "I Still Love You " – 4:06# "Oceans of Tears" – 4:30# "Rise from the Shadows" – 3:44# "Believe Enough to Fight" – 5:02...
, based on the legend. - The German metal band Grave DiggerGrave Digger (band)Grave Digger are a German heavy metal/power metal band formed in 1980. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s.-Band history:...
released a concept album about the story of King Arthur called Excalibur - Australian post modern retro band RevolverRevolver (band)Revolver were a London based guitar band in existence from 1990–1994, comprising Mat Flint , Hamish Brown and Nick Dewey...
have a song titled "Cross in the Sky/ Wastelands" written by James MontgomeryJames MontgomeryJames Montgomery was a British editor, hymnwriter and poet. He was particularly associated with humanitarian causes such as the campaigns to abolish slavery and to end the exploitation of child chimney sweeps....
on their 2006 album "In Absinthia". The song is about the Arthurian legend and the desolation that occurs in the country after Arthur's death. - Heather Dale often records songs having to do with the legends, including "Mordred's Lullaby" and "Lily Maid".
- English folk singer Maddy PriorMaddy PriorMaddy Prior is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span.-Early life:...
released a 2001 concept album Arthur the King - The 2011 medieval rock song “Merlin's Cage” by French-American songwriter Laurent Carrer tells of Merlin’s captivity.
- The 1995 album The Final ExperimentThe Final ExperimentThe Final Experiment is a progressive metal/rock opera album released in 1995 by Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen A. Lucassen. Originally penned Ayreon: The Final Experiment with no artist noted, at the suggestion of the record label the subject was later detached, and used as the name for what...
by AyreonAyreonAyreon is a project by Dutch composer and musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen.Ayreon's musical style derives mostly from heavy metal and progressive rock, but combines them with genres like folk, classical and electronica...
, its concept is located in King Arthur's timeline.
Anthem of Cornwall
- Bro Goth Agan TasowBro Goth Agan TasowBro Goth agan Tasow is one of the anthems of Cornwall. It is sung to the same tune as the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau...
("Dear Land of Our Fathers"), the official anthemAnthemThe term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
of CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, includes the words: "Kingdom of King Arthur, ancient saints and the Grail/No other land is more beloved."
See also
- Rodney Parrish's Arthurian Comics List, Rodney Parrish.
- Camelot In Four Colors: A Survey of the Arthurian Legend in Comics, Alan Stewart.
- Camelot 3000 and Beyond: An Annotated Listing of Arthurian Comic Books Published in the United States c. 1980-1998 (Revised Edition, May 2000), Michael Torregrossa, part of The Arthuriana/Camelot Project Bibliographies.